Monkfish (Anko, Ankimo) – U.S.

Monkfish grow slowly but mature quickly and are typically found in dense aggregations (large groups) on mud and sand bottoms along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and Canada.

They were traditionally caught as bycatch and discarded until the 1980s when market demand first grew in Asia and Europe, and later in North America. Monkfish were considered “depleted” for many years but through good management their abundance is now at moderate levels.

The majority of Maonkfish are caught in gillnet and bottom-trawl fisheries. Bottom trawling can damage the seafloor and accidentally catches depleted groundfish, like Atlantic Cod. The gillnet fishery accidentally catches endangered Atlantic sturgeon.